𝐈 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐁𝐘 𝐌𝐘 𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐑.
pepper looked at me, and looked away.
bella walked over to us, staring at her phone like she was watching some really interesting stuff.
"bella, why are you staring at your phone?" pepper asked.
"i'm hoping charlie will ask me to homecoming. i don't wanna miss his call." bella said.
"so, things are going well with you guys, huh?" pepper asked.
"you have no idea." bella laughed.
i ignored her, thinking to myself.
"we're perfect for each other." bella said, leading us away from the lockers. "but i'm staring to get worried. i haven't heard from him in a few days. pepper, has sawyer said anything to you about me and charlie?"
"maybe. things have been really weird between us lately. besides, i never understand half the stuff he's talking about. honestly, most of its goat related." pepper shrugged.
"oh my gosh. it's charlie! what do i do!" bella panicked.
"ask him for money!" i said.
bella looked at me.
"answer it!" i pressed the green button.
"this is why we're friends." bella smiled.
we all listened in to their phone call.
"what happened?" pepper asked.
pepper kept ignoring me after she said she was nervous about me taking sawyer from her.
but i really didn't care.
i had spent too much time apologize to her for something she was upset about.
sawyer and i are friends. i understand that pepper and him are dating.
but i would never, ever cross a boundary and try to take sawyer away from her, no matter how much i like him.
and it was disappointing to know she thought i would.
"he didn't ask me to homecoming. he just found my dumb hoodie. i left it at squeezes the other night." bella frowned.
"well, it's not over yet, mama." sophie encouraged.
"you still have four days." pepper smiled.
"oh no. newts gonna ask me to homecoming for the third year in a row." sophie panicked.
newt walked down the stairs, and walked past us.
"is he giving his mum to asha?" sophie asked. "he just gave his mum to asha!"
"hey, sophie. so, i know that must've been really hard for you to watch, but i meant it when i said i was moving on." newt nodded.
"and you moved on to asha. nice." bella smiled.
"we both belong to the same country club." newt smiled.
newt walked away, while sophie cheered.
«───── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ─────»
i walked down the hall with newt, who was walking with sawyer, who was walking with pepper.
"so remember, my goat turns two this saturday." sawyer told us.
"oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. i got the.. the invite." pepper opened her locker.
"so did i. i'm thinking of bringing asha if things go well at homecoming. it's our first date ever and i really wanna impress her. that's why i rented a limo. i just hope she likes it." newt said.
"easy there, buddy. just be confident, show no fear, and before you know it, she'll be eatin' outta the palm of your hand." sawyer said.
"she's a human, not an animal." i scoffed.
"what if you two came with us in the limo? double dates can really help ease the tension." newt asked.
"actually-" sawyer started.
"of course! i've always wanted to ride in a limo." pepper interrupted.
"you can come too, cherry. having you guys there will totally make me feel more comfortable. thanks, guys." newt smiled.
i walked away while pepper and sawyer fought.
«───── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ─────»
i watched bella shut the door, carrying the mum.
"i know, i already told zach i'd go with him. but it's just a friend date! and, the guy i like-like wants to take me." bella said, interrupting. "so i'll just call zach and explain everything to him. thanks for getting me through this, guys."
she gave him a call, and he answered instantly.
"hey qb." zach said through the phone.
"hey, zach. so, look, about home-coming-" bella started.
"uh, i was about to call you, actually. i crashed my bike, and, well.. i broke my foot."
"oh my gosh, zach, i'm so sorry. you know, you should probably take it easy and stay home this weekend."
"no, no, i don't wanna ruin another homecoming for you, bella. i mean, it really only hurts when i- ow. move it."
"i'll be fine, really. i'll have my friends there, and i'll have a great time alone. i promise. feel better."
she hung up on him.
"well, that was easier than i expected." bella grinned.
"so, you got the date you wanted, without having to do the dirty work of ditching zach? seriously, i want your life." sophie said. "or taylor swifts life, and then beyoncé's. and then like, jennifer lawrence's, and maybe cherry's- let's just say you're in my top five."
"i'm honored." i grinned.
i waved goodbye to all of them, and called my chauffeur to go home and get ready.
« ───── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ───── »
i changed into my dress, and when i had walked down the stairs to go to newts limo, my stepmother stopped me.
"you continue to disobey me. you're going to that dance with that stupid cowboy, aren't you?" avery sat up.
"i'm going with my friends." i replied, grabbing my purse.
"you didn't believe me. i will move you out of this town." she threatened.
i opened the front door.
"say goodbye to your friends, cherry, because tonight's your last night here." she scoffed.
i walked through the path, meeting with mateo in front of the gate.
we walked into the limo, sitting down near sawyer and pepper.
i handed my phone to mateo, who took a picture of me.
"the limos great, newt. i can't believe you went to so much trouble." asha smiled.
"it was no trouble. my dad has a lunch card. every tenth lino ride is free." newt smiled.
newt and asha flirted, while lavelle spoke to them.
newt rolled the window up.
"do you have to crunch so loudly? they're trying to have a moment." pepper complained.
"hey, i'm trying to have my own moment here with these cheetos. they're delicious." sawyer said.
we heard a heavy thud, and lavelle rolled the window down.
"sir, so, i have good news and bad news. the bad news; this afternoons rain washed out the road to moonlight ride, and two wheels are stuck in the mud." lavelle told us.
"what's the good news?" newt asked.
"coulda been all four. pound it." lavelle held out his fist.
"i'd rather not." newt said.
"you're the boss." lavelle said.
we awkwardly sat in silence.
"i'm sorry that we won't see moonlight ridge." newt apologized.
"that's okay. the way the dome light is flickering, it reminds me of stars." asha whispered.
"actually, i think that's a trapped moth, but i like your positivity." newt smiled.
we all glanced at sawyer and pepper, who weren't even facing each other.
"just sayin', we wouldn't be stranded in the mud if we took the party tractor." sawyer said.
"so it's my fault we're stuck here? you know, sawyer, this really isn't working out." pepper said.
i immediately looked over, listening intently.
"i'm staring to think we're just too different." pepper said.
my leg bounced in anticipation, waiting for her next words.
"maybe we should break up." pepper suggested.
"whoa, you guys are not breaking up. they're not breaking up." newt reassured.
"i agree, pepper. we should break up." sawyer said.
i stared, trying to figure out if i was dreaming or not.
"look, lavelle is calling a tow truck, and soon we'll be there it of here and on our way to the fun and romantic dance." newt said.
lavelle rolled down the window to say no one was coming, and we'd have to push the car.
"fuck!" i said.
we all stepped out of the car, and i cut in front of mateo to get out first.
"i'm not staying any longer in this hell hole." i complained.
mateo laughed.
we pushed the car, and by the end, everyone was covered in mud.
"you guys look trash." i said, fixing my skirt.
newt apologized. "i'm a homewrecker!"
"newt, you didn't break us up. we did." sawyer said.
"i think it's been coming along for a while, but neither of us wanted to admit it." pepper glanced at me.
"i wanted to break up, because i like someone else. but i was afraid of losing you as a friend." sawyer admitted.
everyone went back to talking, and pepper scooted over to me.
"i want to apologize for being so rude. i didn't want to admit that i didn't want to be with sawyer anymore, and i took it out on you." pepper apologized.
"i can tell you like him, so if you wanna be with him, i'm rooting for you guys." she gave me a smile.
i glanced at sawyer, who was talking about god knows what with mateo.
"it's okay, pepper." i said.